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The lush paradise has 10 corrugated-steel plant beds surrounded by three hawthorn trees and several benches. There are also two compost bins, which the gardeners use to create nutrient-rich soil.

“People bring us the scraps from their lunch and dump it in our bins. It’s a great way to create less waste,” said Zanev, who
is originally from Germany.

Ground CherriesAngel Chevrestt

Former UN worker Arif Khan first hatched the idea for a secret garden when he noticed a “neglected rubble area” on top of a storage unit, according to Zanev. The seeds of his idea were sown in July 2015.

There are now 10 volunteers tending the garden, gathering twice a week to harvest, plant, water and churn compost.

“By setting a hands-on example we hope to bring awareness to the overall development goals of the UN like food security and small-scale agriculture,” said the new garden president, Stina Nystrom, 27, from Sweden.

“It’s important to show how easy it can be to grow food, especially in a big city,” said Zanev.

UN workers like to linger at the garden during lunch breaks.

“People love the opportunity to get out of the office and take a refreshing pause out here,” said Zanev of the patch.